雙語·《伊索寓言》 士兵與馬

THE SOLDIER AND HIS HORSE

A Soldier gave his Horse a plentiful supply of oats in time of war, and tended him with the utmost care, for he wished him to be strong to endure the hardships of the field, and swift to bear his master, when need arose, out of the reach of danger. But when the war was over he employed him on all sorts of drudgery, bestowing but little attention upon him, and giving him, moreover, nothing but chaff to eat. The time came when war broke out again, and the Soldier saddled and bridled his Horse, and, having put on his heavy coat of mail, mounted him to ride off and take the field. But the poor half-starved beast sank down under his weight, and said to his rider, “You will have to go into battle on foot this time. Thanks to hard work and bad food, you have turned me from a Horse into an ass; and you cannot in a moment turn me back again into a Horse.”

士兵與馬

戰(zhàn)爭時(shí)期，一個士兵給自己的馬吃大量的燕麥，照顧也十分用心，他希望馬能夠身體強(qiáng)壯，忍受住戰(zhàn)場上的艱難困境，馱著他輕松奔騰，需要的時(shí)候，帶著他脫離危險(xiǎn)。但戰(zhàn)爭結(jié)束后，他開始讓馬做各種苦工，卻很少關(guān)注它了，給它的食物也只有干草而已。戰(zhàn)爭再次爆發(fā)，士兵又給馬套上馬鞍和韁繩，他披上鎧甲，跨上馬奔赴戰(zhàn)場。可那可憐的馬早已經(jīng)餓得半死，他一上馬，馬的身子便塌下來，馬對主人說：“這次你得走著去戰(zhàn)場了。繁重的勞動和糟糕的食物把我從一匹馬變成了一頭驢，你可沒有辦法讓我立刻變回馬。”